I Gave A Parent Notice And Now They Are Badmouthing My Daycare

[permanentvacation]

About a month ago a family hired me to watch their son. He had been home with mom his whole life - 1 year - and I knew it would take some time for him to adjust to leaving mom. However, his parents came in any where from 1/2 to an hour late pretty much everyday. Every day, the little boy came in exhausted as if he hadn't slept much at all over night. Every morning, whether it was mom or dad bringing him in, they would tell me that he's tired.
He would fight his sleep and would not fall asleep until between 12:30 - 2 in the afternoon. The majority of the day he cried, screamed, rubbed his eyes, and yawned!

I have owned a licensed daycare for 25 years and I tried everything I know with this little boy to help him adjust. He did, occasionally stop crying and would play - but it wasn't often or for too long. If I took 3 steps away from him, he would scream as if Freddy Kruger walked into the house. If I opened the house door he would scream.

Tuesday evening, Grandpop picked the little boy up from daycare. We began discussing him being tired all the time and won't relax and take a nap here. Grandpop told me that the little boy doesn't sleep anywhere for anyone! He also demandingly announced that his parents let him watch tv all day an that if I would just put the television of for him, he would be happier! I told him that I don't allow the children to watch tv much at all because it's not good for them. I would rather that they interact with each other, with me, and play than watch tv. Grandpop said, "Well, maybe you should put the tv on, you'd have a much better day." So, I learned that the little boy wants to watch tv all the time and there's no way he will sleep here. - UGH!

Wednesday morning, Dad brought his child in who was completely asleep in his car seat. So, after 3 1/2 weeks of watching him, I told the dad that I would finish watching him through that Friday, but that Friday would have to be my last day. He flipped out, yelled about him needing to work, yelled that I should let him watch tv like all kids get to do, announced that he would not leave his child here through Friday, snatched his child up and rushed out of the house. His wife called me about 2 minutes after he left. She yelled and cussed at me!

Now, they are on Craigslist badmouthing my daycare! Now I don't know what to do about that. Have any of you experienced this and what did you do and what would you suggest that I can do?

Thanks!

[melilley]

Oh geez, sorry this is happening to you! You did the right thing though. I can't believe they said to let him watch tv and you will have a better day!
This child isn't going to last in any daycare that doesn't allow tv watching all day!

Sorry, I don't have any advice, just sympathy! :hug:

[Willow]

What exactly are they saying about you on craigslist?

[butterfly]

Flag their craigslist ad, it'll end up coming down.

You did the right thing. If you've been in business for 25 years, I'm sure you have tons of great word of mouth. I wouldn't worry too much about what these parents have to say. If they are bad mouthing you, by telling everyone that you wouldn't let their kid watch tv... :::: That seems like a ridiculous thing to be upset about and most parents are going to understand that these parents are being a little ridiculous.

:hug:

[redmaple]

Yes, flag it to be removed.

I've heard others mention taking a screen shot of it to have on hand, and any others they may be posting on other cites. If they continue to post them, you may wish to contact them to desist in the slander or legal action will be taken.

[cheerfuldom]

Since you have 25 years of good reputation, I wouldnt worry at all about this. Flag the ad. If you have a trusted person that will help you flag the ad too, that will help keep it off the site. The more people that flag it, the better. For that matter, if you feel comfortable, just post the link here and we can flag it for you. It will be removed after people keep reporting it. I would not lower yourself to contact these people at all or to post your own ad.

[JoseyJo]

Maybe post a response back? Depending on what they say you could *very professionally)* respond. Like saying that every daycare is not the best fit for every child. At XXXX (your daycare) you choose to have a television program because _____, you believe nap and a good sleep routine at night is important because____, etc etc (responding to their complaints about you by saying what you do and why). It is important that every family finds the best child care situation for their parenting style and personality, and you understand that what you offer was not the best fit for this family but it is for many others!

[JoseyJo]

Since you have 25 years of good reputation, I wouldnt worry at all about this. Flag the ad. If you have a trusted person that will help you flag the ad too, that will help keep it off the site. The more people that flag it, the better. For that matter, if you feel comfortable, just post the link here and we can flag it for you. It will be removed after people keep reporting it. I would not lower yourself to contact these people at all or to post your own ad.

This is much better than my solution! I will flag it for you

[Brustkt]

I will flag it! happyface

[permanentvacation]

1. That I am a horrible daycare, (I think the family is just upset that I gave them notice. The dad was in the process of dropping the child off at my daycare when I gave them notice. If they really thought that my daycare was horrible, I don't think that they would have been trying to drop their child off that morning.)

2. don't let the kids play, - (So I placed a daycare ad on craigslist with pictures of my past and current daycare kids playing! I have worked in 3 centers and kept getting in trouble for sitting with the children and playing games/doing activities with them. For example, playing color and shape bingo, having the children count snowmen and put the correct amount of snowmen in the cup that has that number labeled on the outside of it, asking the kids if they want to learn to write their letters, when they all said yes, having them sit on the carpet in front of the chalkboard and take turns writing the letters and drawing pictures to coincide with the letter. I quit my center jobs because I wanted to work with the kids and do activities with them. At my home daycare, we do ALOT of hands on age appropriate activities. They also have plenty of free play time)

3. complain if the kids don't sleep long enough for me to do my college school work,(I do my schoolwork after 9pm and over the weekend!)

4. have the kids sit at the table all day, ( He called every day to let me know he was on his was to pick his child up. The first couple of times, he would ask me to get his son ready to leave because he was running late to get his other son from elementary school. He picked his child up right around snack time. Often, the children were still eating snack when he arrived. After he leaves here, he has to pick up his other son at elementary school, so if the kids had finished eating snack early and began playing, I would clean up and have him ready to walk out the door so he wasn't late to get his other son.)

5. I only had one other boy before his child, now have one girl,and there's a reason that I don't have many kids. (A couple of months ago, I had to close my daycare because I had hand surgery. I had a cyst on my finger that was growing towards my hand and my doctor insisted that I have the cyst removed before it got into my hand. I had 7 children in my daycare when I had to close to have surgery. So, I am just now opening my daycare back up after having surgery - which is why I don't have many kids!)

[Play Care]

I agree with those who say flag the ad, but please, do NOT respond in any way, shape or form to their badmouthing on a public forum. Even if you start out trying to be professional, it could quickly escalate into something you don't want

Continue doing what you are doing - offering quality child care and having your current/former clients sing your praises. It may stink, but be the bigger person.

[Blackcat31]

1. That I am a horrible daycare, (I think the family is just upset that I gave them notice. The dad was in the process of dropping the child off at my daycare when I gave them notice. If they really thought that my daycare was horrible, I don't think that they would have been trying to drop their child off that morning.)

2. don't let the kids play, - (So I placed a daycare ad on craigslist with pictures of my past and current daycare kids playing! I have worked in 3 centers and kept getting in trouble for sitting with the children and playing games/doing activities with them. For example, playing color and shape bingo, having the children count snowmen and put the correct amount of snowmen in the cup that has that number labeled on the outside of it, asking the kids if they want to learn to write their letters, when they all said yes, having them sit on the carpet in front of the chalkboard and take turns writing the letters and drawing pictures to coincide with the letter. I quit my center jobs because I wanted to work with the kids and do activities with them. At my home daycare, we do ALOT of hands on age appropriate activities. They also have plenty of free play time)

3. complain if the kids don't sleep long enough for me to do my college school work,(I do my schoolwork after 9pm and over the weekend!)

4. have the kids sit at the table all day, ( He called every day to let me know he was on his was to pick his child up. The first couple of times, he would ask me to get his son ready to leave because he was running late to get his other son from elementary school. He picked his child up right around snack time. Often, the children were still eating snack when he arrived. After he leaves here, he has to pick up his other son at elementary school, so if the kids had finished eating snack early and began playing, I would clean up and have him ready to walk out the door so he wasn't late to get his other son.)

5. I only had one other boy before his child, now have one girl,and there's a reason that I don't have many kids. (A couple of months ago, I had to close my daycare because I had hand surgery. I had a cyst on my finger that was growing towards my hand and my doctor insisted that I have the cyst removed before it got into my hand. I had 7 children in my daycare when I had to close to have surgery. So, I am just now opening my daycare back up after having surgery - which is why I don't have many kids!)

((hugs)) for having to deal with this.

Sadly, this is a common event when clients get told no. ANYTIME clients don't get their way, it seems they will badmouth the provider.

Other than taking legal action and demanding that they stop badmouthing you, there isn't a lot you can do as people are free to voice their opinions.

On the up side though when people gossip about you, they are saying far more about their own integrity than they are about you...kwim?

I would hold my head up high, continue advertising and continue doing the best job you can. Be proud of who and what you are and never mind the naysayers...

I am sure you have a ton of references that are MORE than happy to defend you!

These parents are going to continue experiencing the same cycle over and over because they are refusing to take any responsibility in this. There is plenty they could have changed and didn't so instead they take the cheap way and just blame the provider....


Hang in there...

and welcome back to the daycare world!

[CedarCreek]

Keep flagging the ad and in the mean time, type up a Cease and Desist letter and mail it to them. In it, make sure you quote their craigslist posts (print out the page and send a copy if you want) and demand that they stop badmouthing your daycare or face the legal consequences of slander.

[Heidi]

I just found it and flagged it.

[permanentvacation]

Thanks for the advice and help.

The family is writing on the Baltimore Craigslist website and their ad says, "Re: Happy Faces Daycare"

I have flagged it and they just keep reposting it.

I know that since I've been in business for 25 years, I shouldn't worry about this, but I am just so concerned mainly because I had to close for a couple of months for surgery. I am just now re-opening. I am a single mother and especially after having to close for a couple of months for surgery, I really can not afford anyone trying to get people to not hire me.

Because of the family's post, I lowered my rates to unbelievable prices just to try to get kids in here to get some income to make up for the time I lost due to surgery.